Joe Pavelskihttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/taxonomy/term/226/all
enU.S. Bondshttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-10/us-bonds
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Off-Ice Team Building Overshadows On-Ice Drills at Olympic Orientation Camp </div>
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/12">Harry Thompson</a> </div>
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<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/usbonds1.jpg" alt="Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks, left, and Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks shake the rust off during the first day of practice at the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp in Woodridge, Ill." title="Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks, left, and Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks shake the rust off during the first day of practice at the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp in Woodridge, Ill." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="350" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks, left, and Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks shake the rust off during the first day of practice at the U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp in Woodridge, Ill.</span></span></strong></p>
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<p>Brian Burke is, among other things, a realist. He knows that not one thin dime will be bet on the U.S. Olympic Team to win the gold in Vancouver.</p>
<p>Whether it&rsquo;s overstating the obvious or simply looking to rally his troops, the general manager of the U.S. Olympic Team is looking to create a mindset that it will be the U.S. against the world when the puck drops on what may be the last time NHL players skate for their respective countries under the Olympic banner.</p>
<p>And when things look bleakest, when the rest of the world is against you, you only have your teammates to count on.</p>
<p>Looking to cultivate that mentality, Burke and head coach Ron Wilson enlisted the help of some of the most decorated servicemen in history to address their players on the importance of an all-for-one and one-for-all attitude, especially in the face of overwhelming odds.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I want to build a team and some camaraderie,&rdquo; said Wilson, who will be coaching in his second Olympics. </p>
<p>&ldquo;You can never become a team unless you can trust the guys to the left, right, front and center. That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re trying to establish here.&rdquo;</p>
<p>There may be no better way to drive that point home for a group of young players than to have them hear it from a real-life American military hero.<br />&nbsp;<br />As part of the team-building efforts&nbsp; at the epicenter of the three-day camp, the U.S. brain trust brought three decorated veterans to talk about what it means to be part of a military unit and fighting not only for yourself but the person next to you in the foxhole.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/usbonds-3-guys.jpg" alt="Scott Gomez, Ryan Malone and Ryan Callahan get ready to hit the ice for another practice." title="Scott Gomez, Ryan Malone and Ryan Callahan get ready to hit the ice for another practice." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="350" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Scott Gomez, Ryan Malone and Ryan Callahan get ready to hit the ice for another practice.</span></span></strong></p>
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<p>Army Rangers Joe Dames and Chad Flemming, along with Navy Seal Michael Thornton, described their military experiences on the battlefield in chilling detail, and how they wouldn&rsquo;t be here today without the support of those in their unit.</p>
<p>&ldquo;To listen to their stories and to hear what these guys accomplished and what they did for our country was just amazing,&rdquo; said veteran forward Scott Gomez.</p>
<p>&ldquo;They were trying to get the message across that you are a team, whether you have to accomplish a mission or you&rsquo;re going for a gold medal. Everyone has to be on the same page. Everyone has to be focused on the goal at hand. There&rsquo;s going to be stuff that&rsquo;s going to happen. You have to back each other up.&rdquo;</p>
<p>With only three days together before players went their separate ways to NHL training camps, Wilson crammed as many team-building exercises into a short time as he could.</p>
<p>Systems were discussed, paperwork was filed and players were able to shake off the rust. But most importantly, friendships were made and players who are enemies during the 82-game season became friends.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve gotten to know a lot of guys from across the U.S. and across the league,&rdquo; said Mike Komisarek, who will play for Wilson in Toronto after six years with the Montreal Canadiens. &ldquo;We worked hard when we were on the ice but also had some fun off it. All in all, it&rsquo;s been an awesome experience.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;We covered a lot of things that we needed to cover,&rdquo; added Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Early in the summer I was asking myself why are we getting together now, and now I understand.&rdquo;</p>
<p>As was stressed throughout the week, this was not a tryout camp. Players were selected based on a number of factors, including how well they played last season. The U.S. leadership scouted American players last season and filed extensive reports that were compiled to create a list of prospective players. </p>
<p>Burke was quick to point out that just because a player was not invited to the camp, he still has a good chance to make the U.S. Team if he has a strong start to the 2009-10 season.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/usbonds-3-guys-signing.jpg" alt="T.J. Oshie, Ryan Kesler and Bobby Ryan take time to sign a few autographs for young fans at the Seven Bridges rink in Woodridge, Ill." title="T.J. Oshie, Ryan Kesler and Bobby Ryan take time to sign a few autographs for young fans at the Seven Bridges rink in Woodridge, Ill." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="465" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">T.J. Oshie, Ryan Kesler and Bobby Ryan take time to sign a few autographs for young fans at the Seven Bridges rink in Woodridge, Ill.</span></span></strong></p>
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<p>&ldquo;The selection process is far from over,&rdquo; Burke said. &ldquo;We expect to name the team around Dec. 30, so a player who comes out of the gate and has a great start is still very much alive. This is not necessarily the group that will represent us in Vancouver, but if we&rsquo;ve done our job we should be pretty close.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Now that the camp is over, the real tryouts will begin once the puck is dropped on the NHL season. Burke and crew will fan out over the league to watch as many American-born players as they can to see who&rsquo;s playing well enough for one of the coveted 23 roster spots.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Once the season starts I have to try to help the Kings win hockey games and hope that everything takes care of itself,&rdquo; said Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Obviously it will be in the back of my head because this is something that I&rsquo;d give anything to play in, but I have to do my job in L.A., first and foremost.&rdquo;</p>
<p>As players and coaches tend to the matters at hand, Wilson hopes some of what was discussed in <br />Chicago will take hold somewhere in the back of the brain. To reinforce things, he plans to wait until after the team is named to send out a DVD with various systems and concepts of how he wants the team to play once they hit the ice in Vancouver.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We want to be an aggressive forechecking team that&rsquo;s on the attack all the time. We don&rsquo;t want to give up possession of the puck, and when we don&rsquo;t have it we want to get it back as quickly as possible,&rdquo; said Wilson. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Three practices in August are not going to win the Olympic Games. This was about a mindset, a philosophy of how we&rsquo;re going to play the Games. I want them to hear that in the back of their heads throughout the year.&rdquo;</p>
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<h6>Photos by Ross Dettman<br /></h6>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2009-10">2009-10</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-10/us-bonds#commentsBobby RyanBrian BurkeJack JohnsonJoe PavelskiMike KomisarekRon WilsonRyan CallahanRyan MaloneScott GomezT.J. OshieFeatureTue, 06 Oct 2009 18:09:08 +00001612 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comPavelski Brings Winning Ways To San Josehttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-01/pavelski-brings-winning-ways-san-jose
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/39">Craig Stancher</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/amstar-Joe-Pavelski_0.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="209" height="363" /></span>Wherever Joe Pavelski goes, championships seem to follow. The third-year NHL forward has experienced team and personal success at every level he&rsquo;s played, earning himself a track record as a player who simply does what it takes to help his team win.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />The Plover, Wis., native earned a state championship at Stevens Point Area Senior High, and captured the Clark Cup with the Waterloo Black Hawks in 2004 while being named USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year. He then led the University of Wisconsin to its sixth national championship in 2006 while leading the team in scoring.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Now, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound center is cutting his teeth with the NHL&rsquo;s San Jose Sharks, and it may only be a matter of time before he pads his already impressive r&eacute;sum&eacute;.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>
<p>Pavelski is playing under first-year head coach Todd McLellan on a tough Sharks squad considered to be one of the favorites to reach the Stanley Cup Finals in a loaded Western Conference.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had some great coaches along the way, played with some great players and been fortunate enough to have a great goalie on every team,&rdquo; said Pavelski. </p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m on another good team here and now it&rsquo;s up to me and the guys to figure out how to win, and win in the postseason.&rdquo;</p>
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<h3 class="feature_headline_smaller">Joe Pavelski<br /></h3>
<h3 class="feature_headline_smaller"><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/amstar-Joe-Pavelski-mug_0.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="180" height="185" /></span><br /></h3>
<p class="textlinkblack"><strong>CENTER</strong><br /><strong>Hometown:</strong> Plover, Wis.<br /><strong>Height:</strong> 5-foot-11<br /><strong>Weight: </strong>195 pounds <br /><strong>Shoots:</strong> Right<br /><strong>Birthdate:</strong> July 11, 1984 <br /><strong>U.S. College:</strong> University of Wisconsin<br /><strong>NHL Draft:</strong> Selected in the 7th round (205th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by San Jose <br /><strong>Did You Know:</strong> Joe played&nbsp; for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL.</p>
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<p>Pavelski jumped on the fast track to NHL success during his rookie year of 2006-07, notching a goal in his first contest with San Jose after being promoted from the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League. He then solidified his status as a mainstay on San Jose&rsquo;s roster by scoring in four of his first five NHL games.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;Any time you can do something special like that &ndash; scoring in your first game &ndash; it&rsquo;s a great feeling,&rdquo; said Pavelski. &ldquo;The biggest thing is getting off to a good start. You&rsquo;re a young guy, who just got called up from the American League, so you really want to make a good impression and score a few goals. It helped me earn a spot on the team and gave them the confidence to play me a little more.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />It&rsquo;s no surprise that Pavelski and winning seem to go hand-in-hand. Not only does the center put up points, but he also does the little things coaches love. &nbsp; </p>
<p>Whether it&rsquo;s winning faceoffs or just playing aggressive defense (he tied for 12th among NHL forwards with 59 blocked shots in 2007-08), Pavelski takes pride in possessing a well-rounded game. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />&ldquo;Those are the things you have to do every day to keep your spot in the lineup,&rdquo; said Pavelski. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re doing the little things, it gets you in the game and shows your teammates that you&rsquo;re ready to play. Each of those aspects is part of the process.&rdquo;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />And what a lot of young hockey players often can&rsquo;t grasp is that those &ldquo;little things&rdquo; frequently lead to big scoring chances on the other end of the ice. According to Pavelski, the best players in the NHL attained that status through an attention to detail on the ice.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What people don&rsquo;t realize is that some of the top players do the small things better than anyone else,&rdquo; said Pavelski. &ldquo;Those players complete their passes, which lead to goals, and they back-check hard to stop the opposition from scoring. </p>
<p>&ldquo;If you want to be successful, you have to focus on all aspects of your game.&rdquo; </p>
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<h6>photo - Getty Images</h6>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2009-01">2009-01</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2009-01/pavelski-brings-winning-ways-san-jose#commentsJoe PavelskiSan Jose SharksWisconsinNext American StarFri, 26 Jun 2009 19:06:53 +0000784 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.com